Equipping fathers to live active, involved, healthy lives with their children

Kyle - November 2015

Kyle and his wife, Brandi, are two of the more passionate people I know when it comes to fitness, and even more so when it comes to raising their two young boys. Kyle serves in the United States Army and is also the co-author (along with Brandi) of the patrioticFounders Force children’s book series.

Here is Kyle’s story:

When did you first get into fitness?

During high school I was very active in athletics but it wasn’t really a passion. I liked the idea of being fit and looking my best but my desire to do other things usually out weighed my fitness goals. I like to compete in different things and after getting into my “adult life” I need something to physically compete at. So about 5 years ago I married up my running ability and competitive nature and started competing in 5k and 10k races.

What activities do you do to keep fit and active?

It depends on what my goals are at the moment. I love to run, so I trained for and competed in the Kansas City marathon. It was a great accomplishment and I was 10 minutes away from qualifying for the Boston marathon. After that my wife competed in a figure competition, it looked fun, so I decided to do the same. I plan on doing a figure competition in May 2016. Shifting my body from a running form to a lifting form has been hard but I lift 4-5 times a week and still try to sneak a run in every now and then.

What is your favorite fitness memory?

Prior to deciding to run a marathon, I ran a lot of half marathons. I finished second in a bigger race in El Paso, the Flying Horse Half marathon, with a 1:26. That’s a 6:35 pace! It just never seemed attainable, so I was really excited to run that fast.

What is your favorite workout?

Since I am adding muscle right now, it has to be legs. There is something about leg day that excites me. A good round of squats, leg press, leg extensions, leg curls, lunges and calf raises makes my day. Throwing those into super sets just makes it that much better.

In what ways do you hope to influence your children through fitness?

My kids look up to me. I need to be the example. Everyone has the ability to do something physical, I just hope to influence them to find what they are good at and go through with it. I don’t care what it is…just do something!

What words of encouragement would you have for other dads out there who want to be healthy and fit?

Do something! It is easy to go to the gym or go for a run. That means it is easy to not go to the gym or not go for a run. There has to be something more than just a mundane gym experience. Pick a goal then tell your wife and kids about the goal. That way when you get tired or discouraged your family is there to keep you motivated. It’s like your own personal cheering squad. No one wants to let their family down or do this fitness venture alone.